'Cordial' and 'Positive' sound rather like exit strategies

A meeting was held. It was decided to hold another meeting.

Larry Ellison (USA) chief of BMW Oracle, sailing team of San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), and Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI), Prince of the Alinghi team of Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), met over the weekend in California.

BMW Oracle reported the talks as 'cordial', and offered to withdraw from the Courts of New York if America's Cup 33 was conducted as a multi-nation event along the lines of AC32.

Alinghi reported the talks as 'postive', and assured the world both teams share a passion for sailing, on the water, and hope to resume that soon.

Meanwhile, nothing happened.

Or a lot happened.

This may be the mating dance for an honorable, managed retreat for both parties. 

For Alinghi, an escape from certain bankruptcy, given its total lack of sponsors for any kind of sailing event, anywhere, even P-Class dinghies on Lake Geneva for the grandchildren of members of SNG. And a tremendous relief from its bruta figura -- and humongous loss of face -- in failing to deliver a 90-foot multihull  for a Deed of Gift race that its lawyers are now scrambling to prove cannot possibly exist.

And for BMW Oracle, an opportunity to depart the New York legal system, hopefully forever, effectively terminating a distracting, clattering fandango that has gone on far too long, too noisily, and undoubtedly cost far more than anyone ever intented, including the Plaintiff.

After all, the DOG race was a bold bluff by GGYC that SUI called. Both clubs have been living with the consequences ever since. Both, assuredly, are regretting decisions that were made when everyone was younger.

Now, the real question is -- actually there are four of them:

(1)  When will AC33 happen, and where?

(2)  Will teams sail existing AC32 boats, or build new designs?

(3)  Will the attention and affections of Bruno Troublé of Louis Vuitton, AC Sponsor Emeritus, ever be recaptured, now that he has vested his passion, commitment and dollars in the new Louis Vuitton Pacific Cup, a cheerful reunion of AC32 participants to be staged in Auckland, New Zealand, in February 2009?

(4)  If Louis Vuitton cannot return -- or elects not to return -- who on earth will step up?

What other agenda can there be?

A new protocol? 

No, please, God forbid. Nobody is that insane.